[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6143280,"mediaKeyId","5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9","parentId",5535914,"title","Food‑service director proposes 'Feed It Forward' feature to reduce student meal debt","audioSeconds",294,"startMs",6291000,"endMs",6585000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9&start=6291&end=6585","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9/thumbnail_6291000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6143280/New-Hampshire/Foodservice-director-proposes-Feed-It-Forward-feature-to-reduce-student-meal-debt","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143280-5fb7cc6fc165ee1bb10181bfbb8d1622/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139760&Signature=hUf-HyQF~wJWELJoECcQdqStVP5vsQBRWUSLtHuDxOcAaJAiptpbTg2tX7l7ZYpwiyJe9YARvgKY1x0upLTuEM8~aAlWX0L5x8UZlzU1KYn3O5DviDxyjfGaPGrWgOJz6gcbezOYK-aJTBfP89IljLt~k-vX-wT5vVTyIMPI3UuxM03cobGjqAmhVhsX7IfwixiCh~WQ2mHppNrG7AKmj7WrJopkDjTbu6eYVckvrc8DHsBDzSixOlIt4ncB6RVdCTY3FKS8TDhnSho80-hjz6QIfk6ulXGDaE8HgKZ97AeqerjKEdege-lsEj2-bb4cclkOebKJKuJQ313D9gzbMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Londonderry School District","date","2025-08-06T15:17:38.49Z","article","LONDONDERRY, N.H. — At the Londonderry School Board meeting on Aug. 5 the district’s food‑service presenter described a built‑in option in the district’s payment software called “Feed It Forward” that would allow parents to donate positive meal‑account balances to cover outstanding negative balances.

The presenter said the district was still actively collecting negative meal debt and that, as of the meeting, the district’s negative balance totaled $54,214.82. Staff said current collection actions include weekly emailed balance notices, postal letters, monthly phone calls and negotiated repayment plans.

How the feature would work
Feed It Forward is a configurable function of the district’s Link payment system. Once enabled, parents and guardians would see an opt‑in option under the meal account view to donate funds to their school’s Feed It Forward pool. The district can also elect to reallocate funds left on accounts of families who have left the district and did not request refunds; the presenter said those transfers would be logged and documented in the software.

The presenter said the function is optional for families and would not automatically transfer funds; any movement of Feed It Forward monies would be controlled through back‑office tools and documented for district records.

Questions from the board
Board members asked how refunds for graduating seniors work and how long unclaimed balances sit on accounts. The presenter said families must request refunds and that small refunds (under $20) are handled directly at the food‑service office while larger amounts are routed through the district office for a check. She said currently some positive balances for former students do remain on accounts until the families request them; the presenter asked the board to permit using unclaimed balances for the Feed It Forward pool as part of the district’s administrative process to reduce negative debt.

Next steps
Board members did not take a formal vote at the meeting. The presenter said enabling Feed It Forward in the district’s Link software is an administrative action and would allow the district to start accepting voluntary donations from families and to move unclaimed balances to pay down meal debt at year end. The district’s business office and food‑service staff will confirm the procedural steps and reporting for the back office prior to activation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting 8-5--25","oneSentenceSummary","The district’s food‑service presenter told the board Aug. 5 that enabling a Feed It Forward option in the district’s payment software would let parents donate positive account balances and allow the district to reallocate unclaimed funds to outstanding meal debt; the district’s negative meal balance at the time was reported at about $54,215.","taxTitle","Londonderry School District, School Districts, New Hampshire","taxId",57338,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6143284,"School board unanimously approves $90,000 withdrawal for Town Hall district‑office design work",5561,664000,6225000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9&start=664&end=6225","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9/thumbnail_664000.jpg","/articles/6143284/New-Hampshire/School-board-unanimously-approves-90000-withdrawal-for-Town-Hall-districtoffice-design-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143284-78248074a74808c4fda00eaf709f0d5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139760&Signature=cZq1Oq8HwwgZCQ0V9PJ3dioZlhU7VezT3Cifkpo2Q9vqvR3HKQ7UgSyQPTRZoPpGr~hTTdq8HgiACJqNJ95djzAtdtRZjq4ViK5wLGxR1U2FX3~3-4uSpJ4NYW1e5uVztWIiOEuRybNbBicCnIuUlyrpCBgmTRpkQKIiURc6fQ7cjEyj96x42xTbHINa0Bjeunv1Tn9RqEmV-RIWF1Yf5jMtw-S25cmJPp5WB8~lhcuQ2pzhwyWZJPtfpmZqahSNJYawka3oWSV0~5M0DlN66HtJzrdtc9nP898R2PchWaN1ng6FXgVnq3gkusIWWcnSfiNYY7Ff~HVLtrGSdRouyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LONDONDERRY, N.H. — The Londonderry School Board voted unanimously Aug. 5 to withdraw $90,000 from the district’s unassigned fund balance to pay for developmental design plans for a proposed district office near Town Hall.

The district intends to use the funds to pay an architectural firm already familiar with district projects to produce schematic and design documents and to coordinate engineering input. Board members said the work is needed to produce reliable cost estimates in time for the district’s November budget presentation.

“Time is of the essence,” Amity (board member) told the board when presenting the request, noting that engineers and contractors are scheduling weeks or months in advance. Board documents named the architecture firm engaged to begin more detailed work and said the firm had provided basic drawings earlier this spring.

Why the work is proposed
Board materials and presenters said the proposal is a collaboration with the town to construct a one‑story building adjacent to Town Hall to house the district office. Benefits cited included ending the district’s current lease at Kitty Hawk, bringing district staff back to the town center and potential long‑term taxpayer savings on interest and lease costs. Presenters said detailed cost estimates are needed before the district can commit to construction.

The vote
Board member Sarah Laughlin moved the motion to withdraw $90,000 from the unassigned fund balance for developmental design plans; Kevin Gray seconded. The board approved the withdrawal on a 5–0 roll‑call vote.

Next steps
Presenters said the district and town will complete design development drawings, obtain contractor estimates, and update the board during the fall budget process. A working group including district and town staff will meet in the coming days to set scope, timeline and next deliverables.

The board also opened and closed a public hearing on the funding request at the Aug. 5 meeting before taking the vote.","At its Aug. 5 meeting the Londonderry School Board voted 5–0 to withdraw $90,000 from the district’s unassigned fund balance to pay for developmental design plans for a proposed district office adjacent to Town Hall; the board and town are working jointly on the project and plan to refine costs for the fall budget cycle.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6143289,"Londonderry staff say three years of shrinking enrollment could allow full‑day kindergarten by 2026–27",2834,788000,3622000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9&start=788&end=3622","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5535914-93cf0ab9d3fd1e9b44ba45317c4096e9/thumbnail_788000.jpg","/articles/6143289/New-Hampshire/Londonderry-staff-say-three-years-of-shrinking-enrollment-could-allow-fullday-kindergarten-by-202627","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143289-24d6bebd4d6df4894716140b4883357f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139760&Signature=XlaGdi~JEbglDae37xBCm18Wxr9AR7ofWtdc9aXQW1y17xpIm8Fds-0u~NSoJQrbgjmuTmyrsh1NYpAxfPHRcOC2y-YPI5~CZWiBRJimYYFYEaiTr196~2Ve5nRtb1vuMeFCK12lqkO~oCSbblq1GZ9G3C~Q3ZEnA-wb65sa34bXeH5SchrcjY30Ar5dl9tXoeddRICKBkGIjD2dgFuykn6VaIXhgQsg5yWb3HVXEWmHUbuLhPmWpHP0~tV6o-cZn2M5pMIUhy2SFL0FyCdpqnaPoSHJsC-ZThvy8Z-SC6n~VP~CAkW-w6UHtRu1BvO1Bhktv9icgGcZmRjjaM-6Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LONDONDERRY, N.H. — District staff told the Londonderry School Board on Aug. 5 that three consecutive years of falling enrollment have created space in the elementary schools that could allow the district to implement full‑day kindergarten in the 2026–27 school year without a voter‑approved capital bond.

The 44‑page enrollment, space and staffing study presented to the board projected that K–5 enrollment has fallen from about 1,745 students in 2022 to roughly 1,474 a year from now, freeing classroom capacity across North School, South School and Matthew Thornton that administrators say can accommodate full‑day kindergarten by 2026–27.

The study matters because it offers a path to full‑day kindergarten that district leaders say would avoid a multi‑million‑dollar bond requiring 60% voter approval. “We have the space right now to start full day kindergarten next year by ’26, ’27 without modulars or the need for 60% voter approval for capital needs,” a staff presenter said at the meeting.

District projections and space plan
District staff said the district saw three unusually small incoming cohorts in a row: current second and first grades are each about 25% smaller than historic averages, and the incoming kindergarten cohort was described in the presentation as about 40% smaller than earlier years. That pattern, the presentation said, would free roughly seven classrooms compared with the district’s needs in 2022.

Administrators presented room counts they compiled with building principals: North School (space for about 25 general‑education classrooms), South School (about 24) and Matthew Thornton (about 29), for a current total capacity of roughly 78 classrooms. Staff said a typical full‑day kindergarten rollout across the three elementary schools would require about 75 general‑education classrooms in their model.

Matthew Thornton and Moose Hill
Matthew Thornton was identified as the building with the tightest space constraints because some classrooms in a 1940s wing measure about 660 square feet. The administration recommended minor construction work — removing nonstructural partitions and combining smaller rooms to create modern 900‑square‑foot classrooms — to improve capacity and specialist space allocation. The presentation said those modifications are relatively low‑cost and could be addressed using capital reserves or operating budget set‑asides.

The plan would move kindergarten out of Moose Hill; Moose Hill would remain a preschool site serving special‑education, related services and tuition or programmatic uses. The presentation noted the district is paying about $44,000 per year on two leased portables at Moose Hill and said ending that lease would save funds if the site is repurposed.

Staffing, finance and timeline
Administrators said the district expects to have sufficient teachers to implement full‑day kindergarten by 2026–27 through ordinary staff reorganization and natural attrition. The presentation estimated about 75 K–5 classroom teachers would be needed overall and described a staffing savings opportunity of roughly $400,000 from consolidating four elementary schools into three (noting those were preliminary, non‑budget‑final estimates).

The administration also cited recurring offsets: an estimated additional state aid of about $2,100 per full‑day kindergarten student and projected savings of roughly $283,000 from eliminating midday bus runs. Identified one‑time start‑up needs included classroom furniture (roughly $150,000 for several kindergarten classrooms) and curriculum supplies (roughly $50,000). The presentation emphasized these were estimates that would be refined during the regular operating‑budget process.

No formal decision, next steps
Board members did not take a formal vote to adopt full‑day kindergarten at the meeting. Superintendent staff said they will present detailed operational and budget numbers during the regular budget cycle, with the district’s operating budget presentation scheduled for Nov. 25. Staff also said full‑day kindergarten could be placed on a future warrant article that would require only a simple majority rather than a 60% bond vote because the plan the staff described would be funded through operating budget and reorganization rather than a capital bond.

Parents, staff and community members voiced varied responses during public comment. Tony DiFrancesco, a resident and former teacher, told the board he supported neighborhood‑based kindergarten, calling it an “educational benefit” and urging the district to emphasize student outcomes when communicating the plan. Other parents asked for clarity on class sizes, paraprofessional staffing tied to Individualized Education Programs, and how new apartment development might affect future enrollment.

Discussion vs. decision
At the meeting staff framed the presentation as a study and a recommended path; the board scheduled further work sessions and invited community input. No motion to adopt full‑day kindergarten or to change school configuration passed at the Aug. 5 meeting. Staff said detailed budget and staffing decisions will be developed during the fall budget process and returned to the board for formal action.

What remains unclear
Administrators noted several contingencies: a sudden reversal of the enrollment decline could change space needs; exact costs for minor construction at Matthew Thornton will be refined after design and contractor estimates; and paraprofessional staffing tied to IEPs will be determined during the annual student‑services budget process. Staff repeatedly described the current numbers as preliminary estimates to be finalized in the coming months.

The board said it expects additional public meetings, neighborhood walkthroughs of proposed classroom layouts, and an education‑focused outreach campaign before formal decisions are made.","At the Aug. 5 Londonderry School Board meeting district staff presented a 44‑page enrollment, space and staffing study saying current declines in K–5 enrollment create room to start full‑day kindergarten in 2026–27 without a capital bond; the board did not take a vote on implementation and will review details during the budget process.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Food‑service director proposes 'Feed It Forward' feature to reduce student meal debt

School board unanimously approves $90,000 withdrawal for Town Hall district‑office design work

Londonderry staff say three years of shrinking enrollment could allow full‑day kindergarten by 2026–27